This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional textile product obtained in the form of a knitted fabric, a woven fabric or a technique suited therefor.
Textile products of the intended type are thoroughly described i.a. in patent application PCT/BE93/0048. They can be used as such or as reinforcement in composite materials.
Three-dimensional knitted fabrics or three-dimensional woven fabrics, as described in this application, specifically show a certain indentation stiffness, in other words a resistance against a movement of both woven or knitted fabric surfaces towards one another, which characterise these textile products.
It will be noted in passing that, besides knitted and woven fabrics, three-dimensional textile products can also be produced by braiding, tufting, sewing, etc. In the following description and claims, these different techniques will therefore be clarified by the expression "textile processing".
The stiffness of the textile product is mainly dependent of the stiffness of the used pile thread, of the density of these pile threads and of the cross, i.e. perpendicular, obliquely or in section relation, as well as of the height of the pile threads, i.e., the distance between both of said surfaces of the textile product.
In order to increase the stiffness of a three-dimensional textile product for a given pile height, use is made of a stiffer thread or a higher density of these pile threads is applied, and this with the adequate crossing.
By this way of treatment, one is however faced with several problems, the most important of which can be described as follows: the higher the stiffness of the pile thread, the worse the weaving or knitting properties of the product, i.e. with the hereinabove mentioned textile treatment. When applying other production possibilities, the application of pile threads of this too high stiffness has also very adverse consequences.